Mesmerizing Footage Shows Dolphin Literally Glowing While Swimming Through Bioluminescence

Bioluminescence is the ability of a living organism to create light . It is prevalent in the ocean but doesn’t occur much on land. Although more likely at depths below 200 feet, the phenomena can be seen near the surface when algal blooms happen. If you have seen blue waves skimming across the water at night, you have witnessed bioluminescence. When sea creatures swim through the explosions of algal blooms, they appear to have an eerie blue glow. When dolphins swim through bioluminescence, the result is mesmerizing.

Sometimes, when the bioluminescence comes ashore, it stays in small puddles in the sand. Videographer Patrick Coyne was walking along the beach when he recorded this fantastic video clip.

Dolphins are not the only sea life recorded “glowing” in bioluminescence. While on a boat from Newport Coastal Tours, Patrick Coyne caught some sea lions playing near a bouy. As the sea lions jump in and out of the water and swim around the buoy, they create an undulating, glowing performance for his camera.

On a kayaking trip in Florida, Patrick Coyne demonstrated the “stickiness” of bioluminescence using his hand. Although the bright substance dissipates quickly, it lingers for a few seconds.

The light we see with bioluminescence is part of a chemical reaction . The living organism must have luciferin, which produces light when it reacts with oxygen. Fun fact: 70 percent of the Earth’s oxygen is from the oceans. When a dolphin swims through a bioluminescent algal bloom, it oxygenates the water, creating the glow we see.

Patrick Coyne is a photographer and videographer. His Instagram page has many videos and images of dolphins demonstrating bioluminescence. Please stop by, comment, and give him a follow. You can also buy yourself some bioluminescence.

You can find the source of this story’s featured image here .

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